Holding On.........

09-27-2005, 07:07 PM

HOLDING ON.........

The cheerful little girl with bouncy golden curls was almost five.
Waiting with her mother at the checkout stand, she saw them, a
circle of glistening white pearls in a pink foil box.

‘Oh please, Mommy. Can I have them? Please, Mommy, please?’

Quickly the mother checked the back of the little foil box and then looked back
into the pleading blue eyes of her little girl's upturned face. ‘A dollar
ninety-five. That's almost $2.00. If you really want them, I'll think of some
extra chores for you and in no time you can save enough money to buy them for
yourself. Your birthday's only a week away and you might get another crisp
dollar bill from Grandma.’

As soon as Jenny got home, she emptied her penny bank and counted out 17
pennies. After dinner, she did more than her share of chores and she went to
the neighbour and asked Mrs. McJames if she could pick dandelions for ten
cents.

On her birthday, Grandma did give her another new dollar bill and at last she
had enough money to buy the necklace.

Jenny loved her pearls. They made her feel dressed up and grown up. She wore
them everywhere, Sunday school, kindergarten, even to bed. The only time she
took them off was when she went swimming or had a bubble bath. Mother said if
they got wet, they might turn her neck green.

Jenny had a very loving daddy and every night when she was ready for bed, he
would stop whatever he was doing and come upstairs to read her a story. On
night as he finished the story, he asked Jenny, ‘Do you love me?’

‘Oh yes, daddy. You know that I love you.’

‘Then give me your pearls.’

‘Oh, daddy, not my pearls. But you can have Princess, the white horse from my
collection, the one with the pink tail. Remember, daddy? The one you gave me.
She's my very favorite.’

‘That's okay, Honey, daddy loves you. Good night.’ And he brushed her cheek with a kiss.

About a week later, after the story time, Jenny's daddy asked again, ‘Do you love me?’

‘Daddy, you know I love you.’

‘Then give me your pearls.’

‘Oh Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have my baby doll. The brand new one I
got for my birthday. She is beautiful and you can have the yellow blanket that
matches her sleeper.’

‘That's okay. Sleep well. God bless you, little one. Daddy loves you.’ And
as always, he brushed her cheek with a gentle kiss.

A few nights later when her daddy came in, Jenny was sitting on her bed with her
legs crossed Indian-style. As he came close, he noticed her chin was trembling
and one silent tear rolled down her cheek.

‘What is it, Jenny? What's the matter?’

Jenny didn't say anything but lifted her little hand up to her daddy. And when
she opened it, there was her little pearl necklace. With a little quiver, she
finally said, ‘Here, daddy, this is for you.’

With tears gathering in his own eyes, Jenny's daddy reached out with one hand to
take the dime-store necklace, and with the other hand he reached into his pocket
and pulled out a blue velvet case with a strand of genuine pearls and gave them
to Jenny. He had them all the time. He was just waiting for her to give up the
dime-store stuff so he could give her the genuine treasure.

So it is with our beloved Baba. He is waiting for us to give up the cheap things
in our lives so that he can give us beautiful treasures.

Isn't He wonderful? Are we holding onto things that He wants us to let go of???

Are we holding on to harmful or unnecessary habits and activities that we have
come so attached to that it seems impossible to let go?

Sometimes it is so hard to see what is in the other hand but we must believe in
this one thing..............

God will NEVER take away something without giving us something better in its place.

The greatest gifts happen when we share love and touch others’ hearts!

Remain Blessed!

Duty is God, Work is Work is Worship

09-29-2005, 04:48 AM

From: SELVA PANKAJ
Date: Wed Sep 28, 2005 11:10am
Subject: Re: [saibabanews] Holding On.........

Respected Madhvi Sister,

Thank you once again from the bottom of my heart for sharing this
lovely story as well as TOUCH ME BABA & THANK YOU LORD. They are
awesome. The previous two seem to have come from deep within -
really touching one's soul.

Our children and adults all are blessed for your invaluable service
to us. May you continue to be the ray of our Bhagawan's light &
divinity.

Your brother in Sai,

S Pankaj

(Zambia)

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From: paresh khatri
Date: Wed Sep 28, 2005 7:46pm
Subject: Re: [SaiForum] HOLDING ON.........

PERFECT STORY TO SHARE WITH OUR CHILDREN AND IN THE PROCESS REFLECT
UPON IT OURSELVES AND SEE WHERE WE ARE!

THANK YOU

--- In saibabanews (AT) yahoogroups (DOT) com, MadhviSai@a... wrote:
> HOLDING ON.........